In the Eye of the Beholder
by paigenumber
Summary: Meet Cat Hunter. A shy introvert who constantly finds herself lost into the world of paint and artworks. People believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but is it really? Hogwarts is changing slightly and so are the people around Cat, causing her to believe that beauty might just be painted with the same, identical brush. Set in the the Next Generation.
1. Chapter 1

It was raining. Again. Two months of minimal rain-no matter how hot it became in the United Kingdom it still managed to rain three quarters of the year- had caused her to long for the change of season that would bring with it more of the natural occurrence. When people said that it shouldn't be able to rain during summer, they obviously were thick headed gits who hadn't lived in the UK. All of those people, the kind that believed only their opinions and things mattered, were bloody annoying in her opinion. Not that she would ever vocalize it so easily. Probably the only person she would ever tell was her best friend, who always seemed to make her shy self disappear- if only for a few moments. Around others...well, the sixth year was still having some issues.

Perspiration soaked her dirty blonde, making the strands weigh a fraction more. That resulted in her hair falling from the bun she'd secured it in, having used a spare paintbrush to substitute for a hair tie. Locks dripping with water tumbled down her back and plastered themselves to her face, neck and the material of her shirt covering her shoulder blades.

Her wand was tucked behind her right ear- it's constant home- and her boring "London sky" grey eyes surveyed the roads and buildings surrounding King's Cross Station. Cars zoomed past, causing water that had gathered on the concrete to fly up and soak her form even more.

Cat Hunter was waiting for the infernal traffic lights to turn green, signaling that she could finally cross the road without being in danger of being run over and killed dead. The traffic lights, which in her opinion were evil pieces of shitty technology that had been created to be the bane of her existence, were clearly taking a thousand years, making her bounce on the balls of her feet impatiently. She'd overslept that morning and was already horribly late. A pocket watch that she continued to pull out from her pocket assisted her in stressing over the time even more. Being tardy...that was just one of the many things her and her best mate had in common. They'd served countless detentions and McGonagall had even told the pair that they'd nearly sat more than a group that called themselves "The Marauders". Upon hearing that, her friend had proudly proclaimed that he was related to one of the members in the group. Cat remained indifferent upon the subject.

Finally, the lights flashed the beautiful, beautiful green that she's been waiting for and Cat hurridly pushed her trolley- carrying her trunk and small tawny owl, Patrick. And before you ask, Cat did NOT in fact name the owl, Patrick. Her grandad had given it to her when he'd found out she had been accepted into Hogwarts. The owl had belonged to his sister briefly.

People who knew her always found it exceedingly amusing to know for a fact that Cat could barely stand her namesake and proffered the company of birds a whole lot more.

As per usual, the station was packed with muggles all hurrying in who knows which direction so that they could catch their trains. It didn't surprise her in the least to know that they were staring intently, but the attention still caused Cat to keep her head down. Every time she went to and from the station, she expected the odd, blank looks that she received but they still got to her. It made her pale skin feel as if thousands of slimy, disgusting bugs were crawling all over it and her stomach felt like the ocean in the middle of a raging, angry storm. As a result of the nausea that overcame her so suddenly and without any warning whatsoever, she found herself hyperventilating, which in turn just made her feel terribly lightheaded. Platforms nine and ten began to spin at an unimaginably fast rate and Cat found herself clutching onto the trolley so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her eyes fell shut in an attempt to keep herself from passing out on the platform- an attempt to keep herself under control. But- for what seemed to be for Merlin's own sick amusement- the attempt only seemed to make her feel worse; as if she was on a broomstick. A broomstick? Well, that sounded alright. Enjoyable almost. Well wrong. Cat felt like she was on a broomstick that was spinning at top speed while it hurtled back down to Earth. Brilliant, huh?

She felt her knees shaking, as well as her hands. All the sounds around her, usually loud and dominating, sounded far off. It was as if she was hearing everything through a horrifically terrible landline. With a little shout escaping her lips, Cat's knees gave out and buckled, causing her to hold onto the trolley even tighter for support. She was shaking and hyperventilating violently until someone having shouted what sounded like her name made her pause and crane her ears to listen. After a moment of listening, Cat decided she must've been hallucinating. Well, that was until she felt cold hands, slightly damp from the rain outside, clutch at her waist as her fingers loosened and slipped off of the trolley. The person who had grabbed her pulled her back into their chest and then wrapped their arms round her trembling body properly. Strong and tight. Then they whispered something into her ear, their voice easily coheratable above the "far-off" sounds of the other people. The voice, slightly husky and oh so familiar was a voice she could've recognized in any situation.

Her best mate.

"Cat. Hey Kitty Cat. Just calm down. I've got'cha. I'm here." and without another word, he scooped her into his arms- as if he did it fairly often, and he did- and carried her onto platform nine and three quarters. The whole time,, he murmured to her softly. None of the actual words processed through to her, but just the sound of his familiar voice calmed her down enough so that she could succumb to the comforting ignorance of the blackness.

When Cat finally opened her eyes, the first thing she focused on was large hazel eyes that were scanning her face,concern reflected in their deepest depths . Behind her hazel eyed hero, slightly concealed by the fog on the platform were four people, all craning over his shoulder to see if she was okay. Two of the onlookers were his parents and the remaining two his younger siblings. A warm hand on her face made her eyes lock back onto the man in front of her. "Hey...are you okay, Kitty Cat?" If he said that at any other time, she would've yelled at him, but in that moment she just nodded slightly and looked around her. She was sitting on a large trunk, made from thick brown leather, which was on top of a trolley. It wasn't her trunk. This trunk was worn looking and had cracks in it, and in slightly faded gold lettering was the initials. J. S. P.

James Sirius Potter.

They'd been best friends since they'd met during their first year on the train. James had been loud,confident- underlying that the tiniest touch of fear- and funny. People loved him instantly. Cat on the otherhand had been timid, shy and too out of her element to try and make friends. It had started off as an odd friendship. It was kind of like James was just being her friend out of pure pity, in Cat's opinion. James had always had a very large hero complex. Over the years, Cat had become more comfortable around James and after a bit more time, his extended family.

Finally, Cat looked back at the man and answered his aged question.

"I...I think so. I think I'm okay." her answer was soft. Okay meant that she currently wasn't about to have one of her episodes. Platform nine and three quarters had slowly become familiar to her so that she felt safe there. James nodded slowly and extended to his full height, making Cat have to crane her neck upwards to meet his eyes. Instantly, she regretted it. His hazel eyes looked angry, as if they were molten fire. He looked as if he was about to ask something but Harry stepped in, his hand coming to rest on his son's shoulder. "James. Enough. She's been through a lot." His voice was stern as his eyes flickered from James to Cat and then back to James. It seemed that James wasn't in the mood to listen to his father and asked the question anyway. "Dad. No. She should've come with us!" James let his eyes flicker back to Cat, making her flinch. He rarely got angry but when he did...he definitely frightened her. "You should've come with us! You shouldn't have gone back to that bloody farm!" He knelt down in front of her again, balancing on the balls of his feet. The way his hand was raised made her flinch away quickly, expecting to be hit. It wasn't like Jamed would ever do that to her but the people who worked on the farm didn't have time to ask questions and instead resolved things with violence. James' fingertips- as light and delicate as a butterfly's wing- trailed across the bruise she knew currently decorated her right cheekbone.

Cat looked past James, ignoring the deep look of saddness in his eyes. She didn't need his, or anyone's pity. Cat saw his mother, father- with his jaw clenched slightly- Albus and Lily move a few steps away to begin moving the other's trunks onto the train.

"Oh Cat...not again..." James' whisper made her eyes move back to meet his. "You know you're always welcome at my house, Kitty Cat." The nickname, no matter how many times she huffed, rolled her eyed or told him not to call her that, James still stuck by it.

"I know that James. But I can't stay at yours ALL summer. Also, I was visiting my brothers in Romania for the majority. I was only at the hell hole fora couple days." She saw his usually light eyes darken slightly so she hurried to add. "Really only twenty seven hours."

Cat could see James reigning in his anger. His jaw was clenched tight when he said, his voice forced into a tone of fake happiness. "Enjoyed the dragons, eh, Kitty Cat?" She nodded enthusiastically, so glad to be on a different subject that she ignored the annoying use of the nickname. Taking her hand, James pulled her up from the trolley . Her two older brothers, Anthony and Jonathon worked in Romania. With dragons.

"Heck yeah! Anth took me so close, I could see all the tiny details." She smiled wistfully, pushed her messy hair from her eyes and James genuinely smiled back.

"I want to see those paintings, Hunter. No excuses."Cat bumped her shoulder into his arm- her short height making her shoulder about an inch and a half lower than his- and she hefted her rather large canvas bag over one shoulder. Harry and Albus were busy, both of them had already put two of the four trunks onto the train.

"Of course you do. The question is, will I show you?" Cat glanced up at him, a mischievous smile gracing her face while her eyes twinkled happily.

An eyebrow raised in a challenge, James rushed forward, seized Cat and threw her over his shoulder. She let out a mighty scream and started banging her fists on his back. "Let me down! Let me down!" But James- an extraordinary git in her opinion- ignored her protests.

"Bye mum!" James called and he proceeded to walk towards his mother, peck her on the cheek and then straightened up, giving his father a wave. "Bye dad! I'll see you at Christmas!"

Cat could see Ginny shaking her head at her son, a smile on her face. "Don't give the girl too much trouble, Jamesie!" Cat couldn't see his face, but she knew him well enough to realize he probably looked insufferably smug and amused.

"Oh don't worry mum! I will!" zjames said too low for his mother to hear as he carried her onto the gleaming scarlet train. Knowing there was nothing she could do, Cat just waved to the Potter's then resumed banging her fists onto James's back. If she couldn't do anything, she wasn't going down without a fight. Merlin, it was going to be an insufferably long year.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two-

James' POV~

* * *

Once they were settled snugly into their compartment, James sprawled along one side of the carriage, his long limps dangling off the edge and Cat curled up with her back resting against the window. The smaller girl began digging through that huge bag she carried everywhere and produced a large sketchbook from the even larger bag. Apparently she'd carried it everywhere even before he'd met her, if it was true and the older a Hunter boys weren't pulling his leg. Upon the earlier years of their friendship, Cat had never allowed him within a few feet of the large bag. She'd yell and scream and threaten. In James' opinion, she was definitely a lot like her namesake at times. Anyhow, when he was younger he believed the bag contained treasure. Upon searching it, James found, to his complete and utter disappointment. That the small and slight girl carried around everything from paints and spare brushes to canvases and pieces of charcoal. James had been surrounded with Cat's art for years now, but he still couldn't stop the feeling of absolute wonder that overtook him as he gazed at her paintings.

There was over a hundred new paintings adorning the thick pages of the heavy book that Cat had tirelessly worked on over the long months of the summer break. Some of the paintings were only the size of his hand, multiple of them decorating one page. Cat, amongst all her faults, never wasted valuable canvas space if she could help it. The paintings that were the size of his hand depicted apparently remarkably well behaved dragons blinking, flapping out their enormous wings and swishing their tails. The way Cat had painted the Romania landscape, slightly faded compared to the dragons, caused the well detailed creatures to stand out it contrast.

Sometime during their third year, he still didn't know how she'd figured it out, but Cat had figured out how to paint moving paintings.

A few of the other artworks were amazing. A whole lot of them showed dragons in great detail, while others highlighted the simple yet breathtaking beauty of the scenery that had surrounded her all summer. His favorite by far, appeared to have been painted from someone's perspective of they were sitting atop the dragon mid flight. He could easily see how Cat had mastered the texture and finest details of the scales. This was astoundingly good, even for a talented artist as good as her.

"Cat.." James murmured, looking up from the book long enough to catch his friend nervously gnawing on her lower lip, her eyes never leaving him. A smile broke out across his face as he handed the book back to her. "They're amazing, definitely some of your best work, Kitty Cat."

As per normal Cat behavior, she brushed off his compliment as if it hadn't even been said and then did something very out of the normal for her. It was something she'd never done, not considered ever doing, she took the art book back off him and ripped the picture of the dragons hind legs, back and wings all visible during mid-flight and held it out to him. James couldn't believe his eyes and just stared st her for a very long moment, his mouth hanging open. Cat, who hated giving away any of her artworks was actually giving him one without being forced.

When James didn't immediately take it off her, Cat shrugged and pressed it into his hands. "Take it, it's yours."

James narrowed his eyes slightly in confusion, letting himself take in Cat's appearance for the first time that day. Her dirty blonde hair, that usually was left in it's natural, messy waves had been pulled into a bun that was being held up with a paintbrush. James couldn't help but let a low chuckle escape. Only her. A few strands of hair was still damp and hugged her gently angled face. The summer sun seemed to have put a slight tint of colour into her usually pale face. It had also turned some of her dark blonde hair a light gold that just highlighted her dull eyes. Her lips were red and full, giving people the impression that she was pouting unless she smiled that beautiful smile of hers. And she'd gotten curves. Very good curves. Well, no. Cat had always had beautiful curves but she'd started dressing in a way that was modest, yet highlighted her curves.

Cat seemed to have noticed he was staring and was staring back blankly, as if she'd been alert only minutes before but had suddenly been confronted with a random burst of genius. "I also think you'll like this one." Her voice was thoughtful, not really THERE.

The sketch book was yet again put into his hands, his fingers brushing along hers briefly. Her hands were so soft, untouched by any blisters or anything while his were large and rough with callouses. He looked down at the book, freezing almost instantly, most of the thoughts in his head disintegrating half formed. James' eyes opened wider and he stared at the painting in awe. It was one of the few paintings Cat did that didn't move whatsoever and Merlin, she was a breath taking artist. It seemed that no matter what the little introvert did, it turned out perfect. Sometimes James suspected her of using magic- in his defense her paintings were always so life-like, detailed- but he'd seen her paint and knew she was exceedingly talented.

This new painting was of a male deer- a stag- standing in the Forbidden Forest. The way Cat had painted it, the background the perfect combination of dark and light shades while the stag was painted in pure gold, giving off what seemed to be a pure aura, enhanced the appearance. Guilt bubbled to the surface and James thought of his patronus- his father had taught him how to conjure one during his third year- and his alternate animagi identity. How would Cat know he was an animagus? He'd always been careful not to let anything slip or to get caught by his friend. Was she really as intuitive as a real cat? Whatever the reason for the painting, it amazed him. He looked up to find Cat watching him. She was on the edge of her seat, her elbows resting on her knees. Her beautiful eyes, so unlike his own, stared back at him, clear amusement set in the line of her mouth.

"So? Thoughts, Potter?"

Clearing his throat to cover the slight heat forming in his cheeks- it annoyed him because he didn't know WHY he was acting that way- James nodded. "H-how'd you get inspiration for it, Kitty Cat?" A adorably cute scowl settled it's way onto her face. Adorably cute!? What was wrong with him!?

Cat leant back in the seat, considering. James watched her closely, trying to figure out what exactly had happened to make him look at his best mate so differently. Over summer, they'd written to one another constantly and had communicated by use of the twin mirrors his uncle George had given them but he hadn't seen her. Not face to face all summer.

Finally, her soft, music-like voice broke him out of his mental rumblings.

"Well, whenever I go into the forest that stag follows me and keeps me safe from all the cruel creatures." before he could stop himself, he felt a surge of protectiveness towards her and froze briefly. This was CAT. His BEST FRIEND. He'd always looked out for her, especially when she walked- in her absent minded beauty obsessed searches for muses in regards to her artworks- into the Forbidden Forest.

The way he was spacing in and out seemed to worry Cat, because she drew her jean clad legs and military boot clad feet up to her chest and hugged them to herself. That was how she sat when she was trying to hold herself together. It was also a nervous tick to her.

"It's great Cat, really!" He rushed to reassure her. James felt another stab of guilt in him and pulled out s handful of chocolate frogs and a packet of exploding snap cards.

"Up for a game?" Cat never missed an opportunity to try and demolish him at anything, especially that game. When she shook her head, James just smiled knowingly.

"Of course I understand why you don't want to play. I'll destroy you." His comment hit a nerve in Cat's competitive side because she sat down properly, her soft, red, kissa- NO STOP IT! - lips were set into a stubborn, determined line.

"Bring it on, Potter."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three-

Halfway into their ninth game of exploding snap, Cat three her cards down and sprawled along her side on the comfy benches, her arm thrown over her eyes. "I give up. You've successfully beaten my nine times. How, I do not know, but I do know that if I play this stupid game anymore I will hex you into oblivion." Cat scowled slightly and let her eyes fluter shut. It seemed like am exceptionally good time for a nap. Well...untilJames snuck up, his fingers moving to tickle the girl. Cat squeaked and wiggled, flailing helplessly in an attempt to get him away from her and at a safe distance. It soon turned into a full on scuffle, involving kicking people, the occasional bite and the hell of a lot of tickling. They were both helplessly ticklish, Cat in more places than James. His spots were harder to find, but she knew him well enough to pin point them in a matter of seconds.

They both somehow ended up on the floor, Cat on top of him while she tickled his sides mercilessly. "Don't start something you can't finish Potter!" She practically sung, her hair falling into his face while she leant over him, acting as a kind of curtain, keeping everyone but them out of their own little world. Cat was well aware that anyone who walked in would believe they had walked in on a very intense snogging session. Just the thought of snogging her best mate, made her pale cheeks flare up with colour. Cat quickly ducked her head in an attempt to keep him from seeing the blush on her face, but failed. His chuckle was all it took for her to realize that he'd seen it. She hoped he didn't read too far into it. But this was James she was talking about. He never read too far into anything she did, or at least Cat thought he didn't. He might, but he didn't exactly show it.

One of James' hands, rough from all the time he spent practicing Qudditch, brushed against her red cheek. She hadn't been expecting the movement, so soft and gentle from James so she jerked slightly, her head falling down slightly, making her forehead bang into James'. And that moment, both of their faces oh so close, her hair acting as a curtain, Fred Weasley, their other friend, walked in. It was a fact that Cat and James were a lot closer to each other than they were to Fred, who also had his own best mate. He constantly fluctuated between the groups. His loud laughter made Cat look up, her cheeks becoming a even darker red. Before Fred could get a word in, Cat jumped to her feet and said in an extremely high-pitched guilty voice. "It isn't what it looks like!" Cat shifted her eyes back to James, who was still on the floor, his arms crossed behind his head like a pillow almost. "Tell him it isn't what it looks like!" Fred kept laughing and sprawled out on Cat's bench, earning a dirty look from her as she was forced to lie on James'. James, still on the floor looked up at Cat, a rather large smirk on his face. A smirk that Cat wanted to hex off. "Why should I, Kitty Cat? You didn't say please, you know." Cat let out a frustrated scream and covered her eyes with her hands, taking deep breaths. "You're a git, you know that, don't you, Jace?" Fred laughed and gently patted Cat on her leg, a hand's width above from her knee. Instantly, she felt an unexpected feeling of warmness and flushed even brighter. "He doesn't know, Cat, that's the problem."

Fred Weasley had changed over the summer. He was taller, his skin tanned and he looked muscular, not as muscular as James but still at a good level. His hair was exactly the same dark orange and his big blue eyes twinkled happily as he looked at her and she felt her heart beat increasing. Oh Merlin. She had a crush on one of her friends! That was not going to end well, ever. Also, a guy like Fred, who was pretty bloody popular and had girls chasing after him left right and center, would never want her. She was and always would be, the creepy paint girl.

Everyone sat in their own thoughts for about a minute before Cat heard the familiar, "Anything from the trolley, dears?" Being called only a few compartments back. Instantly, she was on her feet, her stomach grumbling. "You guys want anything?" When both boys nodded, told her what they wanted and handed her money , Cat maneuvered around James who was still on the floor and out the compartment.

James' POV;

When Fred walked in, he wanted nothing more than to kill his infernal cousin. He and Cat were good together, and she'd even been blushing. She thought she'd hidden it in enough time but James had seen it. As soon as she'd kicked the compartment door closed- who needed hands?- Fred called out to James. "Oi, I need your help mate." James, instantly intrigued sat up, raising an eyebrow at the other boy. "What?" Fred was shifting uncomfortably and that wasn't normal for him. Usually Fred, much like himself, was confident and not easily brought into a situation they acted shy and fidgety. They left that to Cat.

"Uh. I want to ask Cat out. You know, on a date." James stared at his cousin in disbelief for a few moments. No. He couldn't. Fred had so many other girls to choose from, and in reality so did James, but he fancied cCat! And apparently so did his cousin.

"Y-you what?" James asked, hoping his cousin was pulling his leg. Upon closer inspection of Fred, James realized that he wasn't faking. He was serious.

"I want to ask Cat out. I just don't know how. You know her better than anyone else, so could you please help me, mate?" James ran a hand through his thick brown hair, thinking. He knew for a fact that if he helped his cousin, Cat would probably only say yes if she fancied him back. There was also the unspoken fact that James could mislead Fred and make him screw up with Cat. But h couldn't do that and although he felt like he was stabbing himself in the heart multiple times, James asked in a husky voice. "Why her?"

Fred's face became slightly wistful. "She's different mate. Compelling. When she's in the room I can't keep my eyes off her." Reluctantly, James nodded, after keeping Fred waiting for his answer for a good minute or two. The only reason he decided what he did was because he wasn't sure about the situation he was in with his feelings for Cat. When he spoke, he fought desperately to keep the emotion from his voice. "Okay. I'll help you." In his head, he couldn't help thinking, I'll help you ask out the girl I fancy, well think I fancy.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four;

By the time the Hogwarts Express had stopped, Cat was zonked out on his line of seats from sugar rush. For a girl who simply loved sweets to no end, she couldn't take them very well. Multiple hours later, after James had agreed to help set his cousin up with the girl he fancied - cue stab of pain- Cat had came back into the compartment and brandished all the sweets she'd bought. James had cracked s joke that Cat was single-handedly keeping the trolley lady in business. Everyone laughed and Cat sat down on him, which earned James a slightly dirty look from Fred. Cat had been adamant on not moving and spent most of the train ride on his lap, until of course she'd grown tired and had ventured onto the seats to nap. James tried prodding the girl, multiple times, but she just swung at him from her state that he called Cat's "sugar induced comas." When she was in those states, it was best to just let the girl sleep them off then wake her. Finally, and not too much to his disappointment, James had just scooped the girl up in his arms and made his way to the not-so horseless carriages.

The night was dark already and slightly rainy. Tiny raindrops fell on Cat's nose and James couldn't help looking down and admiring her for a moment. He liked her for everything that was purely CAT. But Fred...he didn't know. His cousin was notorious for being a heart breaker and he wanted him nowhere near Cat. He earned quite a few odd looks as he carried her to the black, horseless carriages. They had always looked horse-less to him, but Cat continued to lecture him about how they were pulled by creatures called Thestrals. She'd even painted him a picture of them so he knew what they looked like fairly well, only going off of Cat's drawings of course. He didn't doubt that Cat had depicted the creatures perfectly. Thestrals were bright blue, fluffy and exceptionally cuddly right?

After he'd carried Cat into the carriages, he'd gently laid her down on the seats and told some second years to take a hike and get in another carriage. When the carriage was just about to start with a lurch, the door opened and of course Fred came in. Anger raised in him easily. Couldn't his cousin follow the little second years example and take a bloody hike!?

"Hey mate." Fred said as he made himself comfortable, his eyes eagerly gliding over the sleepy girl. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes turning hungry as he gazed at her. In that moment James realised why his cousin wanted Cat now. Before she'd bundled herself up in about nine layers of clothing and one couldn't easily see or access her curves, but now, she only had on a pair of jeans, a tank top and an army jacket. James felt an emotion, jealously, stabbiness- was that even an emotion? He decided it could be an emotion for now- and something else spike as he saw his cousin's eyes linger on Cat's curves.

"Hey Fred." James said louder than he usually would, causing Cat to wake up and flail at the closet thing, being Fred's head. Her hand, small yet apparently strong, smacked right into his nose and with a cry from Fred that sounded extremely girl-like, blood spilled from his nose. That would be a tremendously bad idea. Cat, hated blood. He remembered during first year, someone had tripped and face planted a cauldron. They'd cleanly broken their nose and blood was going everywhere. James had just happened to look at Cat, his new found friend, to see her swaying slightly, her face pale and slightly sweaty. He'd had enough time to slightly grab her, his arm going around her shoulders before she completely passed out into his arms. Cat Hunter was deathly afraid of the sight of blood. Apparently her grandmother, who had been friends with his dad, had had the exact same fear. Who would've guessed? Maybe it was genetic? But he'd also heard that the girl hadn't let her fear stop her from becoming a healer and fighting in the war. Cat had spunk, he'd give her that, and bucket loads of courage. The only problem was, she let fear rule her life.v

Cat's POV;

Cat sat up and blanched. She'd hit Fred and he was b-bleeding... That was another thing she wasn't good with. Blood. She absolutely hated the stuff. No matter how many times her brothers told her there was nothing to be afraid of, it was BLOOD after all. But to her it was horrific and caused her to feel weak kneed, sweaty and lightheaded.

All her phobias and fears held her back and she knew it. It hurt her inside and she wanted nothing more than to completely come out of her shell and be the supposed confident, bubbly girl her best friend knew. But...it was hard. So, so hard. There were people helping her, sure, but they didn't understand how hard it was to come out of your shell, trust people with a part of yourself. Because, what if they break it!? What if they look at it critically, judge you then throw it away like old cod liver oil. Her mum, she'd been able to help Cat the most but when she'd been murdered... a bit of herself had died alongside her mother and had been replaced with the stuttering, shy, self conscious girl she'd never known she could become. It was like changing. She'd changed so much in the period of time that she could hardly recognize herself any more. And that hurt. It hurt so much that Cat knew she'd be disappointing her mum.

Her eyes locked on James' and he tugged her into his lap and pulled her hat down low on her eyes, before she could even blink. "Come on. It'll be okay, Kitty Cat. Stay with me." She wanted nothing more than to jump up, smile and say she was fine..but she couldn't. His voice sounded husky and exceptionally far away. His voice had been very husky lately...proof he was growing up. In that moment, Cat couldn't help but notice how similar her mother and James were with helping her threw her fears. They both never gave up on her when she needed them most. Small tears formed in her eyes and she shook her head. In the same moment she buried her head into his shoulder to hide the tears. A stab of disappointment hit her. Here she was again, hiding from her fear.

She heard James snap at Fred. "Fix that, would you? You're affecting Cat." Sneaking a look up, Cat saw Fred's eyes darken, his face hard as he held a cloth to his nose forcefully. "I'm sorry Fred..." Cat whispered, her voice catching with guilt. The look on both boys faces told her they thought her voice caught on something else. Tears maybe. James gently stroked her hair and started whispering jokes in her ear and soon had her laughing happily along with him, momentarily forgetting Fred the whole way back to the castle.


End file.
